


Beloved

by Fueled By Dr Pepper (enid_salt)



Category: Glee
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-05
Updated: 2011-08-05
Packaged: 2017-11-12 17:09:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/493666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enid_salt/pseuds/Fueled%20By%20Dr%20Pepper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A siren's song will lead you home. (Mermaids of the little kind)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beloved

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jeannine](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Jeannine).



> Fic written for a person's birthday a while back.

It felt so late to Dave. The twinge in his upper back and the puffiness to his eyes screamed at him. One quick glance to the nearest clock – 9:45 pm. 

‘Shit.’

It was way too early to feel so rundown. He glanced to the little girl still captivated by the flickering animation on the television’s screen.

“Em.”

She didn’t respond.

“Em,” a little more forceful this time, “Emily Karofsky.”

The little girl turned her head, frown just like his in place, “David Karofsky.”

He narrowed his eyes, “Don’t push me, kid. It’s way past your bedtime and I cannot take anymore Disney.”

Truthfully, he couldn’t. It had been okay, almost nostalgic, to see the first two. But this was the second viewing of “The Little Mermaid” and Dave was sure that the tinny, minimal score wouldn’t stop bouncing around his head anytime soon.

Emily bounced up and down in her seat, “But it’s Friday! And I just wanna see the part where she sings to him one more time. Promise.”

Considering there was quite the storm raging on the sea already, he decided to indulge just a bit further. Plus, if she got really tired, she might sleep in – an in turn let Dave sleep in – all the way to 8:30 am.

“Fine. As soon as Grimsby finds Eric on the beach, it’s curtains for you.”

Emily nodded, eyes already transfixed back on the TV. Dave tried watching again too. His eyelids drifted down of their own accord in the next few minutes. The sounds receded and the lights dimmed, he felt like he was floating on air – or was it water? It was his little sister who had prodded him awake after pressing stop and putting the movie away on her own.

“Dave, I’m ready for bed.”

He shook his head, willing the last vestiges of the almost dream away. In one swoop, he picked up a giggling Emily and carried to her room, lightly tossing her onto her bed.

“We all good?”

Emily situated her self under her covers and nodded.

“Night, munchkin.”

“No.”

He looked back, “What?”

“Call me a guppy.”

He laughed, “Sure thing. G’night, guppy.”

“Goodnight, Prince.”

It was small and probably didn’t mean anything but it put a smile on Dave’s face nonetheless.

After 15 minutes, when it was sure that she was asleep, Dave grabbed a glass of milk and a PB&J sandwich from the kitchen. A small snack in him, Dave was unashamedly crawling into bed at 10:30 pm. He caught himself humming one of the songs from the movie as he folded the sheets back turning it into a cough, for whose benefit, he didn’t know.

The characteristic heaviness just before really falling asleep drifted over him. Instead of the usual non-descript shapes that weaved their way around the darkness of his eyelids, it seemed as if waves were crashing in various patterns. Dave was loosing focus though, falling into the place where sleep was. But one of the last thoughts he could remember was that he was sure he could smell the salty air of the ocean.

It came rushing at him. The harsh winds lapped at his face and tugged him in all its different directions. The tiny droplets of seawater caught in the gusts pelted him like pinpricks. He could barely see more than what was in front of him. What was in front of him? He could see floorboards. Railings. It was a boat. Massive. The storm seemed to surround them – the angry grey met the harsh black water in a jagged horizon. He tried listening. There was sound, yes. The pounding the boat was taking and the fierce claps of thunder as lightning lit the sky for brief moments. Voices. He could hear voices. He tried turning around. They were as much victims to the weather as he was. Were they calling him? No, they were trying to keep the boat afloat. Out of his control, he found himself doing what he could to aid their efforts. Then the singing started. A dark mass – land, maybe – appeared to the left. Like its presence cleared the air, the storm seemed to avoid it and shroud it from their eyes. But he could hear it so clearly – a song. No decipherable words or familiar melody. It still pulled an imaginary string that was rooted in his chest. It beckoned him towards it.

The others must have heard it. Finally seeing the helm being turned toward the singing. He forced himself to look away, in the opposite direction. The storm’s eye seemed to be there, certain spots were blacker and more desolate than what they were already experiencing but a brighter light shone just beyond. For the first time since discovering himself there, Dave was finally able to do what he wanted. He marched up to the helm and turned it to the light in the storm. He could hear the protest and the call grew louder. But he was sure that he could narrow the rough and get to the brighter light.

But it was a hoax. As the singing stopped, the light they were headed for disappeared. Like it was a reflection of the other direction, and now the ship blocked it from view. The waves and wind grew beyond what he thought possible. A blinding light shone and the crack wasn’t a full millisecond behind it. Lightning has stuck the boat.

Tossed into the sea with the wreckage, Dave could barely keep afloat. The water swirled and hurtled into him, making it hard not to breathe it in. There was darkness before he felt the gentleness of being held safely, like he would carry Emily, as he was pulled through the water. They made it to land, whoever was moving him. Feeling so much better, he let himself rest, betting the other person wanted to relax as well.

“David. Beloved.”

That voice. Everything before the storm seemed so far and distant. But that voice. Then the song started. It was the calling – or at least like it – it soothed him. Why didn’t he muster the energy to open his eyes?

“Dave!”

This voice was louder. It didn’t fit. Like a harsh dubbing playing over a movie.

“Prince Davey!”

There was a blow to the stomach. He opened his eyes suddenly. He was awake, in bed, with a child sitting on him.

“Em, really?”

“Guppy, not Em.”

He picked her up and set her down on the floor as he got up.

“Guppy Emily, what time is it?”

She glanced at the wall clock.

“Nine in the am.”

He was surprised.

“Huh. Thanks for letting me sleep in.”

She stood up and curtsied, “You are welcome. Now let’s finish the movie.”

He slowly lumbered down the same stairs she flittered off of. He sidetracked to the kitchen, Emily still hot on his trail.

“Hey Mom, “ he greeted his mother,” where’s Dad?”

She turned from the table where she sat reading the paper, “Getting the groceries. He didn’t have the stuff to make pancakes so he ‘might as well get everything now’. There’s still some cereal left.”

“Davey! The movie!”

Emily was hopping up and down, tugging at his shirt in the process.

“Calm down, Gup.”

He peeled her off of him and walked to the cupboard, “Let me get a bowl of cereal and we’ll finish the movie.”

She sped off towards the TV.

“Gup?”

Dave nodded, “She won’t respond to Em or munchkin. Only guppy. Gup too, I guess. Hope that wears off by Monday.”

His mother laughed and rose from her seat, “I’ll get a head start and pop in the movie as you’re walking over there. God forbid you delay the movie another minute longer by setting down your bowl.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Seated next to Emily on the floor – because he had to – he focused more on getting each bite of his breakfast the right amounts of cereal and milk than what was happening on screen.

It wasn’t until Ursula, who was currently Vanessa, sang that pieces of the dream hit him. He drank the last of the milk left in the bowl and tried to focus on what he could remember. The voice he had heard – was it just a bastardized version of the movie’s actors?

But the words; they weren’t anything like what happened in the movie. And why had he steered away from the voice? Like he was afraid of it. And whomever it belonged to saved him. 

‘Just a dream.’

After the movie’s credits popped up, so did Emily. She sprinted back to her room. Dave got up, put the movie away, and took his dishes to the sink. He had changed and sat back on the couch to catch up on the Sports section when Emily came tumbling down.

“Park!”

He glanced her way. She had slipped into a purple shirt and blue-green denim pants – an odd combination to Dave. It wasn’t until he noticed the red handkerchief wrapped around her hair that he realized she was a human Ariel. Or trying to be one.

“Later?” 

It was fruitless to bargain with her but maybe she would say outside and he could read the paper in the light of their front lawn.

“Momma!”

She came in, “Inside voice.”

Emily nodded, “Park, Momma?”

“Can it wait?”

Emily rolled her eyes and walked back toward the stairs, shoulders slumped.

Dave was already on his feet, his mom had stuff to do and his dad would be back with the groceries soon, “I’ll take her.”

His mother thanked him and Emily scrambled to put the handkerchief on as she got up. They walked; well Emily seemed to glide, to the park. She headed straight for the hard plastic mast of the vaguely boat shaped playground equipment. 

He pulled the folded newspaper from back pocket and sat down to read it. Within a half hour, Emily had organized everyone on the ‘ship’ to re-enact the best parts of the movie with her. A few of the kids who were too unfocused to stay wandered off to play on the swings.

“We need a prince! Davey, come be a prince.”

He shook his head no, and went back to the NCAA scores.

“Davey!”

Just as he got into the article on the newest addition to his team’s lineup, too. He folded up the paper again and walked to the boat.

“I’m here.”

Another little girl, maybe only a year younger than Emily, turned to him.

“He can’t be the prince.”

Dave almost thanked her.

“Why not?” Emily demanded.

The girl’s nose scrunched up, “Princes are supposed to be handsome.”

A harsh blow to the ego; Dave didn’t care though – even if she had been Dave’s age, she was a girl and he wasn’t exactly hoping to appeal to her.

Emily, however, was livid.

“Out with you, you scurvy dog!”

“Emily Karofsky,” Dave cautioned her, “be nice.”

The little girl had already run halfway across the park, opting to play in the metal jungle gym.

Dave walked back to his previous spot while a few kids, impressed by her gusto, ran up to join Emily’s ship.

Having run the mermaid thing into the ground, the trip to the park was the last Dave thought about it until after school Monday.

He was grabbing a few things from his locker when he heard it. The voice was at McKinley. He followed it. It was in the choir room, naturally. He walked in without a thought.

Kurt turned around.

“Do you need something?”

Everything fell into place.

‘My subconscious ripped off a Disney movie.’

“Your voice.”

Kurt smirked, “I’ll take ‘things you’re made fun of for years’ for 300, David.”

“David. Beloved.”

Kurt was puzzled, “Yes, I’m well aware of what your name means.”

That threw Dave for a loop. But crazy coincidences are everywhere when you dream about your life’s problems.

“I mean. Um, I heard you singing. What was that?”

Kurt waved him off and picked up a sheet of music from the top of the piano.

“Finn and I had to watch his little cousin this past weekend. Kid watched “The Little Mermaid” about 10 times in 2 days. Everything in my head sounds a bit like it right now.”

Dave stood still on his spot. He had the urge to look up at the heavens and scream ‘Are you all comedians up there?’

He was already staring up at the ceiling when Kurt cleared his throat in an uncomfortable manner. This wasn’t a sign, it was just a funny story and he resolved to leave before it became an awkward moment.

“Sorry,” he was on his way out of the room when it struck him to at least try, “my little sister was watching that movie this weekend so I must have recognized it.”

Kurt perked up with a smile, “You have a little sister?”

“Yeah, Emily. She’s nine. Mentally though, she wavers between 30 and 5.”

Kurt laughed, “Sounds like me. I was trying to be a big, bad adult but I could turn on the brat in a second if I needed to.”

Dave went with the natural flow of the conversation, “She’d love you. Just, I mean, she loves dressing up and being dramatic and . . . this is becoming less of a compliment the more I talk.”

“Actually it isn’t,” Kurt smirked, “I’d love to meet her sometime.”

Dave felt the thump of his heart in his chest.

“You could always come over. Hang out. Teach her how to really dress like Ariel – not just wear purple tops and greenish pants.”

Kurt chuckled, “Hell, if I can find the box in our basement today, I’ll be over with some of my old stuff. Vintage is in.”

Dave grinned an impossibly wide grin, “Sounds awesome. Or, at least, it will to Emily.”

Dave’s good mood however, dwindled the moment the reality of the situation sunk in. He busied himself with making the house a bit neater and tried to get that damn dream out of his head. Emily was talking over the show on the television, while Mr. and Mrs. Karofsky, who remembered Kurt and his history with Dave, seemed eerily calm.

The doorbell rang. Emily walked to it first and Dave fumbled after her just reaching her as she swung the door opened.

“Why hello there!”

On the front steps, Kurt looked almost as flustered as Dave, a small packed bag in his arms.

“Kurt?”

Emily was eyeing him, like she needed to identify and approve him before he could come in.

“Emily?”

Dave pulled at her shoulder, “Let him in, Em. I mean guppy. Come on in, Kurt.”

Kurt held back a small laugh.

“So, Dave tells me you like to dress up.”

The maturity switch in Emily seemed to be flipped.

“I do enjoy costumes.”

Dave snickered and she looked back at him with a frown.

“Well, I used to have the same passion. I brought over some of my old pieces for you to have.”

Emily smiled and everyone in the room relaxed.

“That’s very sweet. Are you going to thank Kurt, Emily?”

Kurt beamed back at Mr. and Mrs. Karofsky.

“Thank you very much,” Emily did her best, deepest curtsey, “I welcome you to our home.”

Kurt, amused smile on his face, handed over the bag to Emily whom promptly carried it off to her room.

Without wasting the moment, Dave shrugged, “Would you like a tour of the house?”

Kurt nodded, “Lead the way.”

The downstairs was pretty open, so it was quickly introduced, and then they made their way up the stairs.

The door to Emily’s room was closed almost completely though they could hear her rummaging presumably through her new additions.

After seeing the upstairs bathroom and even the storage closet, only Dave’s room was left.

“Well, here we are.”

Dave tried not to act like he was hiding anything despite the fact that he was intentionally blocking the closed closet where he had shoved most of the random books that had been scattered on the floor earlier.

“Huh, not what I expected.”

There wasn’t a malicious tone to Kurt’s voice. He eased his way around the room, smiling at different things that caught his eye.

Dave leaned against the closet door.

“Your bookshelf looks like it’s been cleared out a bit recently.”

Dave stood up and immediately heard a few of the books behind the door tumble against it.

He and Kurt shared a laugh.

“It was easier to shove them in there than organize them properly all over again.”

Kurt turned back to the shelves, “Oh good god, they’re in order by author last name.”

Dave shrugged even if Kurt couldn’t see it.

“It’s how I was taught. It really bugs me if they’re out of order.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow, “And having them all over the floor doesn’t?”

A smile crept onto Dave’s face, “It’s not a perfect solution.”

The door, which was already half-open, burst wide and bounced off the stopper as Emily vaulted onto Dave’s bed.

“Ta da!”

She had picked out her purple tights and pulled on grey capris over them. The blazer-like jacket and purple scarf were new to Dave, so they must have been Kurt’s.

“That doesn’t look like Ariel at all.”

He received two very critical looks.

“David, she’s obviously Grimsby,” Kurt looked over Emily, “She just needs the shoes. And to tie her hair back.”

Emily radiated in Kurt’s gaze, “Yup! I’m Grimsby! Silly Davey.”

Dave laughed, “What happened to being a mermaid?”

Emily shook her head, “Kurt’s the mermaid. He’s got eyes like the ocean. And you’re still Prince Davey.”

Kurt smiled at the compliment while Dave sputtered at the words.

“We’re not dressed like them, Em. And none of your clothes would fit us.”

She frowned and hopped off the bed, “You have clothes! Can’t he borrow some of yours?”

Neither boy had an answer for her immediately.

Kurt recovered first, blush still tinting his ears and neck, “We can just pretend. Lead us to the sea, Emily Grimsby.”

They went along with her direction and re-enacted more than half the movie.

At one point, Kurt leaned toward David, “Maybe she’s also a bit like Rachel Berry.”

“Is that why I can’t hate her?”

Kurt chuckled, “Rachel or Emily?”

“Both.”

Emily then shushed them.

Struggling to stay up, Emily yawned and then ran in a small circle, trying to pick another scene to do.

“Okay, now we should . . . do the part with the singing! Kurt, can you sing to Davey?”

Dave shook his head, “No, I think it’s time you got to bed and let Kurt go home.”

Emily pouted. Dave mocked her, pouting right back.

“I can sing. One last scene.”

Emily grinned, “The best one!”

Dave tried to make the best of it, just ignoring any other feelings.

“Lie down.”

He stuck his tongue out at Emily, “I know how it goes.”

Kurt laughed, “Now who’s five?”

Once everyone was in place, Dave closed his eyes. 

‘It’s just a game. For Emily.’

Kurt’s voice began low and soft. It was a lot like the dream. It still had the movie’s words and melody but the feeling that Dave got from it – what it stirred in him – was the same.

Then he heard it, whispered so that Emily couldn’t hear and he barely could, “Beloved.”

Emily’s fake barks and exclamations burst in and ended the moment.

“Okay, we’re done for the night.”

Even Dave could hear the edge to his voice.

“I mean, we’ve gotta stop.”

Emily nodded and pulled the scarf off. She hugged Kurt tightly, leaving him looking touched by the gesture.

“You can walk him to the front door, Em, but after that it’s bedtime. Mom and Dad will back me up.”

The trio made their way down the stairs. Kurt exchanged goodbyes with Mr. and Mrs. Karofsky. Emily pulled him in for another hug.

“I had so much fun tonight. Thank you.”

Kurt smiled, “We’ll have to make sure that we have even more fun next time.”

Dave and Emily asked at the same time, different tones to them, “You’re coming back?”

“Of course I am.”

Emily smiled, “I shall be waiting, then.”

As she was dragged off to bed, Dave walked Kurt out, “Goodnight, Kurt.”

Kurt’s face held a soft smile, “Goodnight, Prince David.”


End file.
